Payette-Adams-Washington County ID Archives History .....Reminiscing-The Monday, Healy And Grosclose Massacre Of 1878
************************************************
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.org/id/idfiles.htm
************************************************
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Patty Theurer (seymour784@yahoo.com) November 19, 2005, 11:04 pm
Book Title:
REMINISCING
ELLIS HARTLEY, a long time resident of Payette County, and who lived as a small boy in Indian Valley until 16 years of age, tells of the Monday, Healy, and
Grosclose Massacre of 1878, & other events.

I am a native of Idaho, having been born at Falk’s Store on January 20, 1876. I have lived in Idaho all of my life except 4 years in New Mexico. In 1878 we
were living on the Wm. McCullough ranch, which joined the Billy Monday place in Indian Valley, Washington Co., Idaho, now Adams County. Recently I have been
reading an account of the killing of Monday, Healy, and Grosclose, and the wounding of Smith, at what was known as “The Falls” on the Payette River, near
Cascade, Idaho. The article referred to, appeared in a book called “The Payette and its Pioneers” compiled by Nellie Ireton Mills, and which I disagree
with in part.

Going back a little, in the spring of 1876 we moved from Falk’s Store to Middle Valley, and Father took a Squatter’s right on a piece of land about 2 miles up
the river from the present town of Midvale. He built a cabin and put in some crop and garden, but in July or August the Mormon crickets came and ate
everything into the ground. That was the year before the Nez Perce Indian War. As it was generally known by the settlers, the local Weiser and
Sheapeater friendly Indians were secretly communicating and sympathizing with the Nez Perce. Knowing this, the settlers had commenced forting up, or in
other words providing central places where women and children would be fairly safe in case of Indian attack. Father, in taking the situation into
consideration, and having lost his first crop to the crickets decided to more over into Oregon where conditions were more settled and where he could get
work. In 1878 we returned to Idaho, but instead of moving back to the Squatter’s claim we moved to Indian Valley, and rented the McCullough place, as
above mentioned.

Evidently it was on August 19th, 1878, Monday discovered his horses had been stolen, and upon investigation found evidence that it had been done by Indians,
and after following the tracks for several miles made sure the Indians were heading for South Fork of the Salmon River by the way of Long Valley. This
little band of Indians were often in the Indian Valley, as were other Indians, and were well acquainted with Monday, also Healy (who was a Squaw-Man) and
Smith, a pioneer of these parts. Grosclose was a young man probably not more than 20 years old. Evidently Monday, Healy, Smith and Grosclose left Indian
Valley on August 19th, going by the way of the old Indian trail to Long Valley on which the Indians had gone, and which crosses the Payette-Weiser River
Divide almost due east of Indian Valley. The Indians must have expected pursuit and as soon as they knew they were being followed selected an ideal
place for an ambush. This is about what Smith’s account was, of the massacre, which took place at a point one quarter mile north of the Falls (or Cascades)
on the Payette River near the town of Cascade. The Indians had secreted themselves in some granite rocks near the trail. The first volley of shots
killed Monday and Grosclose. Healy dismounted and got behind some rocks. Smith, who was the last man on the trail, started back, but almost the same
time his mule was killed from under him and he was shot in the hip. Healy evidently held the attention of the Indians and allowed Smith to hide himself
in a log jam on the river. After it was dark he left his hiding place and traveled on foot some 35 miles in all, reaching White’s place at what is now
Old Meadows, a day or two later.

Two other men, Daniel Crooks of Mt. Idaho, and Brady Wilhelm of Idaho City, miners, were killed the same day by the same Indians, eight miles east of
Cascade at what was known as Pearsol Diggings. Soldiers under the command of Major Drum found their bodies after finding those of the three ranchers in the
canyon. My father with other ranchers of Indian Valley went to Lardo and received from the soldiers the Monday horses and others that were taken by the
Indians at the same time, and brought them back to the Valley. Later he used the Monday team of horses to finish the harvesting of crops on the Monday
place.

The Idaho Sons & Daughters marked the graves of Monday, Healy and Grosclose in the year 1929, and at the same time placed a marker at the graves of Crooks and
Wilhelm. In the fall of 1964, my wife and I, and my sister and her daughter visited both to theses gravesites.

Wm. Monday was not the first settler of Indian Valley as stated in the book compiled by Mrs. Mills. A Mr. Spoore was the first, and he was also the first
Post Master.

Our association with the Monday family was very close, and though I was only a little more than two and one half years old, this event was reviewed by our
family over and over for many years afterwards, and in my opinion is very near to what really took place.